Lambertville is a funky place. This small New Jersey city has a deep history dating back to 1732 and has visible ties to the Revolutionary War era. Beautiful row houses and narrow streets give this town a distinct historic charm.
There is a level of diversity we see here that we haven’t seen since living in cities like San Francisco and Portland. LGBT friendly, it is replete with artists, musicians, and a vibrant culinary scene that contributes to the rich culture of the town. It is a perfect mirror of neighboring New Hope which is right across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.
We’ve dined at a number of restaurants here. The area provides a variety of different eateries whether it being Peruvian or an upscale steak house. One of our favorite places to visit is Bell’s Tavern.
It is a quaint yet very busy Tavern that’s has been family owned for years that offer excellent cocktails, wine and beer, and every Tuesday, they create a twenty dollar bottle wine menu and a twelve dollar pasta menu that comes with a salad and garlic bread.
My wife opted for the linguine with meat sauce. The portions are massive and we ended up taking half home. For an additional three dollars more, you can order another bowl. The pasta was cooked perfectly and their sauce was amazing. For two people, you could have wine and a full meal for less than twenty five dollars a person.
I opted for a steak, with mashed potatoes and a side of sautéed spinach. I haven’t had a steak in over a year, and it was spectacular. It was also accompanied by a side of roasted red bell peppers. Cooked a perfect midrare. The side of spinach had hints of chili flakes and a generous amount of garlic. We devoured it, no questions asked.
The place is always lively with a great mix of folks who frequently dine here. The service is friendly and efficient. We didn’t feel rushed even though the dining room filled up quickly. Our next visit we plan on sitting at the bar. It always gives off a party vibe when we pass through.
I highly recommend Bell’s Tavern to anyone who appreciates a well executed menu with great, friendly service.
Our Own Version Of Cheers Revisted
February 26, 2026
In the vast wasteland of Bucks County Tavern and Pub scene, there are diamonds in the rough that give you that Cheers feeling of inclusion.
My last few years as a chef have been mainly focused on upscale tavern cuisine. Simple, home-cooked meals, elevated but still approachable to the working class folks that keep these places humming.
We’ve tried a number of places to extract those feelings of inclusion and community. My previous employment at The Farmhouse Tavern comes to mind. Unfortunately due to poor management and unsavory business practices out of my control, this place is no longer an option for our dining needs.
We ventured into a local tavern just up the hill from our home called The Gardenville Hotel. Not a hotel anymore but it is an historic tavern dating all the way back to the Civil War, steeped in history.
We love connecting with local patrons. We tried this in Cincinnati at a place called The Friendly Stop in Glendale Ohio. Great food but friendly wasn’t on the menu. We literally felt invisible everytime we went in. Check please!
We initially went for drinks at The Gardenville. I’ve always been skeptical of pub food establishments. I always compared their food with mine and my wife always complained that she preferred my food over anywhere we ate. Not to sound ego centric but so did I.
We started going more frequently to Gardenville. It’s cozy, welcoming and the staff is always really attentive and seemed to love working there.
We noticed everyone ate when sitting in the bar section of the Hotel. It’s a small, funky space replete with deer heads, odd decorations and a comfortable seating area. Perfect for what we were looking for.
They have a decent tap list, a great to go beer selection and a well rounded food menu. We decided to try some of their offerings. We ended up being one of their biggest fans. Really good burgers, fish and chips and great turkey dinners.
Our wallets weren’t happy because I constantly drug my wife there because the social scene keeps us in a positive light being stuck in the middle of nowhere.
No one screams our name when we come in but they know what we drink, and are always happy to strike up a spirited conversation with us. It definitely makes us feel welcomed and that’s really important during these trying times.
Our Wedding Anniversary Trip To Easton Pennsylvania
August 30, 2025
We’ve been to Easton a number of times. It reminds me of old cities that still have their architectural charm like Cincinnati and Wheeling West Virginia. Both cities are surrounded by hills and turn of the century buildings.
We’ve never stayed overnight before and usually just visit their marketplace, which I wrote about earlier on this blog.
My wife surprised me by booking us a suite at the Grand Eastonian Hotel. They’ve turned a 1927 hotel into condominiums and reservable rooms and suites. Our suite was gorgeous with a balcony looking over the city and also has a heated salt water pool that was amazing.
Home
Surprisingly, the restaurant we made reservations with was directly across the street called Kabinett, which is named after a German style of wine. The meal and service were great. They have an enormous wine list as well. We do suggest sticking with noshing on a variety of apps. My steak, which was $59, came out a bit under done and wasn’t hot. They quickly remedied it, but we liked our apps much more.
https://www.kabinettwinebar.com/
We had a cocktail at a lounge two doors up that played great 60’s r&b that featured some excellent cocktails called Presley’s.
I highly recommend Easton Pennsylvania. If you are seeking a city, feel like New York but want more accessibility and a slower pace, this is a great town to visit.
Another Kroger/Mundy Collaboration!
August 16, 2021
I always get a little nervous making ravioli. Worrying about whether the mix is correct, will it lose flavor after hitting boiling water, will they break open in the process, will they, will they, will they? Procuring fresh pasta sheets locally is not easy.
I couldn’t find any place near me that sold them. What I traditionally used in the past were wonton wrappers. They are extremely versatile and have the same consistency as pasta. The local Kroger carried two different sizes. I opted for the smaller wraps for individual ravioli versus the large sheets that are used for egg rolls.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to create for the filling. First, I was thinking smoked salmon, cream cheese, and fresh chives but ended up deciding on jumbo lump crabmeat and ricotta. I added lemon zest, lemon juice, and a citrus blend seasoning salt.
For the sauce, I created a beurre blanc using a great white balsamic vinegar, white wine, garlic, bay leaf, basil, heavy cream, and butter. It turned out excellent. I garnished the ravioli with chopped basil Chris brought from his garden and then shaved pecorino tartufello over the ravioli. The cheese has the same consistency as port salut but has bits of truffle in the cheese. It was delicate and didn’t overpower the dish with the truffle flavor.
Chris brought over his great homemade pesto and he created crostini with golden cherry tomatoes, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper that were oven-roasted and then cooled. He assembled them with a layer of ricotta, the pesto and then topped them with the tomatoes. The combination was superb.
I have to say, this was one of the better dishes we enjoyed and it was fun resourcing the product and creating it. Not to mention the complex flavors.
